


Forty-two

by velocitygrass



Series: Ever fallen in love? [37]
Category: Stargate Atlantis RPF
Genre: Birthday, Established Relationship, M/M, Partner Betrayal, Phone Calls & Telephones
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-01-05
Updated: 2009-01-05
Packaged: 2018-07-23 19:30:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7476936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/velocitygrass/pseuds/velocitygrass
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Well, look who's two years older than me again :) How's the Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything? Happy Birthday, Old Man! David.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forty-two

**Author's Note:**

> This is entirely a work of fiction.

_Well, look who's two years older than me again :) How's the Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything? Happy Birthday, Old Man! David._

Taunt about being older than David? Check. Greetings combined with an insult? Check. Some obscure reference, probably science fiction? Check. David was quite predictable at times. Joe pondered whether to look the phrase up but in the end he decided not to because getting the answer from David was more fun and it wasn't as if he'd impress David if he googled it.

He dialed, and when David picked up, they spoke at the same time, David saying, "Happy Birthday, Joe!" while Joe asked him, "So, what's the Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything?"

"Oh, come _on_ , Joe! Tell me you're kidding."

"I'm not kidding," Joe said honestly.

"Seriously? Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy? Doesn't ring a bell?" David asked, sounding almost desperate.

"Oh, I think I heard of that."

"You _heard_ of it. Okay, that's it. I'm ordering it for you as we speak. I can't watch this cultural deprivation. This is _common knowledge_. You could ask _any_ kid."

"A kid of yours, you mean," Joe said, smiling at the idea of David reading his favorite science-fiction novels to Baz.

"Yes, but not only. And since you're probably too old to change, now that you're, you know, _old_ , I'll send it over to give at least your kids a chance to lead a normal life."

Joe laughed. "I'm glad you're watching out for them."

"It's what I'm here for. So, is there going to be a party?"

"Friends and family," Joe confirmed.

"Will Jason be there?" David asked.

"He's not sure with the baby and all."

"Right. Well, if he's there, say hi from me."

"I will," Joe said.

There was a silence. As always there were a lot of things he'd like to say to David, but wasn't sure if he should. Eventually he settled on asking the question that was most important to him.

"When—"

"I don't know," David answered before he could really start. "I'm writing at the moment, but there might be an audition coming up in LA, but it's not a sure thing. I'll let you know when I know more."

Right. There was another silence. Joe wanted to say that he missed David, but somehow the mood wasn't right. It was strange how things could settle down in a relationship. And it didn't seem to be different in _their_ relationship, atypical as it was in so many other respects. He'd never say that the romance was gone because it was a cliché and because if it was, they'd stop seeing each other behind the back of their wives.

Plus it wasn't that their feelings had changed. It simply wasn't necessary to _say_ certain things every time they talked.

Joe knew that he should say goodbye, but he didn't want to let go of this little connection to David just yet. "So, uhm. What does it mean? The Answer to Life, the Universe and Everything?"

"Okay, since you're not going to _read_ it. In the book, they build a supercomputer to calculate the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything. After several million years it comes up with the answer: forty-two."

Joe waited for David to continue, but he didn't. "I don't get it."

"Which is really the point. Because the answer isn't worth anything without the question."

"So what's the question?" Joe asked.

"Unfortunately the even better computer that's built to answer that is destroyed along with Earth just before giving the answer."

"This is a geek thing, right?" Joe asked, frowning, because he really didn't get it and he feared it wasn't just because he hadn't read it.

David laughed. "Yes, Joe. It's one of those 'geek' things. Don't worry your pretty head about it."

"Hey!" Joe said affronted. "Watch who you're calling pretty."

"Would you prefer if I'd call you unpretty?"

"You could call me scruffy," Joe said, scratching his beard. "Manly would work too."

"How about sexy? Or hot?" David said, deepening his voice into something sultry. Then he said more seriously, "Or _mine_."

Joe's heart started beating faster. Here it was again. That desire and need and love between them that was entirely crazy, but completely undisputable and unignorable. "Forty-two, huh? Maybe what they meant was that there simply is no answer to life and everything. Forty-two is just as good as anything. You just can't _explain_ life."

"Actually, I think you can explain _anything_ ," David said after a moment. "The answer just doesn't necessarily make a lot of sense."

"I love you," Joe said, because that was _his_ answer and had been for some time now.

"Yes, like that," David said. "I've got another example. I love _you_."

Joe smiled. He wished he could touch David. Just a brush against his arm or a hand on his shoulder.

"Maybe I _will_ read it," he said to David.

"It's short," David said happily. "At least, if you only read the first one."

"There's more than one?" Joe asked skeptically.

"I can order you the complete series."

"Wait. David!"

"Embrace your inner geek, Flanigan," David said teasingly.

Joe snorted. "I'm not making any promises."

"I know," David said wistfully. "Just see if you like it."

"I will," Joe promised. "Call me when you'll be in LA or, you know..."

"Yeah. Love you," David finished.

"Love you," Joe said, hanging up.

Knowing David, however many volumes this series had would arrive the next day. Joe would read at least the first one. For reasons that made about as much sense as forty-two—and were the answer to _his_ life, _his_ universe and _his_ everything.


End file.
